Telegraaf: U.S. to bomb Iran

(AIVD headquarters, photo by facemepls)

The Oracle of Amsterdam says this is bogus, but let it be recorded:

De Telegraaf, reporting on the basis of anonymous sources within the Dutch AIVD, or secret service, says that the Netherlands expects the U.S. to strike various targets in Iran in the next several weeks.

The Dutch have pulled back one spy who had infiltrated the Iranian nuclear program and helped designate targets, the paper says.

Article in Dutch.

I frequently rail against De Telegraaf, the country's biggest paper, for its questionable reliability & taste. But like other tabloids, it is responsible for many scoops, thanks to good sources inside various defense and law enforcement agencies.


(photo:forezt)

One noteworthy additional footnote: the story was published under the joint byline of two reporters, Joost de Haas and Bart Mos, who exposed corruption within the AIVD in 2006, and were first wiretapped and then jailed for their efforts.

All of this adds to the seriousness of the report. But in the world of cloaks and daggers, it also raises the possibility that they are now being fed false information to damage their reputations...

I would also add, in order to keep its negotiating hand as strong as possible, the Bush administration wants to keep the option of a bombing attack on the table. Or at least make it appear to be on the table.